ISLAND VOICES

Hawaii should embrace legal marijuana

By Julius Lannutti and Tom Berg

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Sep 29, 2013

~~<p>In response to the U.S. Department of Justice clarifying its marijuana policy last month, our state Legislature should hold hearings on permitting medical marijuana dispensaries, adult recreational usage and industrial hemp cultivation.</p><p>&nbsp;In 2004, our state passed a law to allow those that qualify to grow a limited amount of marijuana for medical purposes. However, the Legislature has prohibited the existence of medical marijuana dispensaries, claiming the federal government would intervene and prosecute any enterprise that facilitated such distribution.</p>~~

In response to the U.S. Department of Justice clarifying its marijuana policy last month, our state Legislature should hold hearings on permitting medical marijuana dispensaries, adult recreational usage and industrial hemp cultivation.

In 2004, our state passed a law to allow those that qualify to grow a limited amount of marijuana for medical purposes. However, the Legislature has prohibited the existence of medical marijuana dispensaries, claiming the federal government would intervene and prosecute any enterprise that facilitated such distribution. Login for more...